People requiring wheelchairs include those affected with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and head injuries, among other debilitating physical conditions. These individuals often suffer from kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis and other back ailments. One of the most common complaints of wheelchair occupants is that of pain that is directly related to their use of a wheelchair. Unfortunately, at least some of the problems faced by wheelchair users are further exacerbated by the failure of current designs of wheelchair backs and back systems to properly position a wheelchair occupant.
One problem with current back wheelchair systems is that they are difficult to install and to remove. Disabled users may need to remove and install the wheelchair back to collapse the wheelchair for storage, such as when the user enters and exits motor vehicle.
Yet another problem with current wheelchair back systems is the variability between commercially available wheelchairs. In particular, the upright posts of the wheelchair, or canes, often differ in configuration between wheelchairs. Specifically, in the inventor's experience, the diameter of the canes may vary from between ¾″ to 1¼″. Additionally, the center-to-center distance of the canes may vary ±2″ from the manufacturer's designation. This may also be referred to as the cane-to-cane distance later in this disclosure. An additional problem is that some canes may not be perfectly vertical. To add to the confusion, some manufacturers use metric designations.
An additional problem with current wheelchair back systems is that they are not adaptable to all wheelchair backs. For example, some wheelchairs, particularly those designed for more active lifestyles, have short canes. Therefore, there is little area in which to attach a wheelchair back, which may mean that wheelchair occupants who pursue a more active lifestyle may not be able to take advantage of the benefits offered by a wheelchair having an adjustable back. Additionally, wheelchair occupants, needing their hands for mobility, have little capacity for carrying cargo. Therefore, another problem with current wheelchair back designs is that they leave little room for mounting other accessories, such as bags, to them. Many chairs for highly involved users have gas assist cylinders, saliva suction apparatus, chest harnesses and other accessories that further limit cane space.
Another disadvantage of current wheelchair back systems is that they provide limited adjustability for people of different sizes, shapes and physical needs. For example, a simple sling back wheelchair back provides almost no adjustability. Some wheelchair backs provide limited adjustability, e.g. the wheelchair back can move vertically but has no seat depth adjustability, or the wheelchair back has seat depth adjustability but has no angle adjustability. Often users are put into wheelchairs that are too big or too small. This can cause the patient to be uncomfortable and, in some cases, actually causes skeletal misalignment problems such as scoliosis and/or kyphosis. A properly fitted backrest can improve the interface between the user and the wheelchair.
Another common problem with wheelchair backrests is excessive weight. Wheelchair users propel themselves using their shoulders and arms. This repetitive motion of the wheelchair user's arms can deteriorate the user's arm and shoulder joints over time. Reducing wheelchair weight can help prolong the users' mobility and reduce wear and tear on the user.
Accordingly, what is required is a backrest mounting apparatus and system that can be fitted to the user while the user is seated in the wheelchair. Such a device will reduce the number of transfers during such a fitting. This reduces the chances of falling, torn skin, bruising, etc. This also expedites the fitting process, which allows the therapist to spend more time fine tuning the fit.
Safety and user-friendliness are further important requirements to wheelchair users. Specifically, a quick release mechanism is critical to the user in that it allows the user to collapse the wheelchair for storage and transportation. The ability to transport the wheelchair is important as it allows the user to maintain a level of independence. An additional important feature to those who desire mobility is a collapsible wheelchair. Therefore, what is also required is a lower profile design such that the mounting devices on the canes do not interfere with one another when the wheelchair is collapsed.
An additional requirement is that of easy installation. For example, prior mounting devices required mounting hardware to be clamped onto two tracks, each mounted onto a cane. Commonly, those tracks became misaligned, thereby making the backrest very difficult, if not impossible, to remove and reinstall.
What is also needed is a safer mounting device. Prior devices achieved depth adjustment and quick release by sliding on a set of horizontal rails, each mounted onto a wheelchair cane. Earlier devices simply clamped onto these horizontal rails. If the clamping force was not applied properly by the user, the backrest could move backwards, possibly falling off the wheelchair while in use. While the prior device provided mechanical stops on the ends of the rails to prevent the backrest from falling off completely, the mechanical stops were frequently not installed correctly by users and healthcare workers.
Therefore, what is needed is a wheelchair back mounting apparatus and system that is adaptable to wheelchairs having canes, or upright vertical posts, having a wide variety of different widths. There is also a need for a wheelchair back mounting apparatus and system that takes up less space on the wheelchair canes so as to fit onto wheelchairs with limited space and permit the attachment of other items, such as bags. There is also a need to provide a wheelchair back mounting device and system that provides a wide variety of adjustability so that it can fit all shapes and sizes of people. The backrest weight must be minimized to prolong the mobility of the user. Lastly, there is a need to provide a wheelchair back that is quickly and easily removable such that the wheelchair back can be removed, and the wheelchair collapsed and stored.